It's a Twisted Kind of Destiny
by Dragoness of the Stars
Summary: Not your everyday TiPo finding lost family fic...as the title suggests, it's a bit more twisted than that. 2 strange characters convince Po and the Five to troop off to a twisted kind of adventure. And if both Mei Ling the mountain cat and a certain scroll-craving snow leopard are included, then hey, what could go wrong except everything? OCxPo, OCxTi, OCxOC, TaiTi, TiPo and etc.
1. One

_Hey, there. Me again. I know, I know, I should be working on Fire and Ice, or Island of the Past, but I couldn't help myself. I tend to have a liking towards surprising, plot-twisted stories, so I decided to kinda attempt something like that. It looks kinda like a shot at an idea for KFP 3, and it sorta is...just with a few little mysteries only I know, and you, dear readers, will have to wait to see. Trust me, this is nothing like Island of the Past._

_I've heard people are getting tired of TiPo, and as a fair warning, I'm telling you there might be hints in this fic, but nothing serious. Until maybe the end. For the moment, I've decided to add...hrmm...a bit of competition...well, no more spoilers, I guess. You are free to read._

_And free to leave some awesome reviews too; let's not forget that fact._

_No, I don't own Kung Fu Panda...just my idea and OC's._

* * *

><p>One: Visitors<p>

Mei-Ling had found the amnesiac snow leopard trying to sneak out of the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy after he'd 'accidentally found' around a week's supplies of food rations; she hadn't bothered to ask questions.

The fight hadn't been easy. She had to admit, the fellow feline was pretty good. But in the end, she'd gained the upper hand, or paw, whatever you want to call it, in the heat of the battle and now he was pinned to the floor, face rubbing against snow and yellow eyes slitted. Mei-Ling clutched both his paws in hers and twisted his arms in a painful lock, then she bent over and smirked, "Had enough yet, big guy?"

"Yeah, I'm done." He groaned, voice muffled. Mei-Ling stood and pulled the thief up with her while he shook his head and tried to dust himself off. The mountain cat had sized him up earlier, noticing the shady, tattered cloak he had on and the hood that didn't do much to cover up his face. Mr. Leopard was just a few inches taller than her, and Mei-Ling couldn't tell if he was bulky or well-built because of the brown robe he had on covering his entire body.

"You can have your stupid food back," He sighed, tossing over a lumpy cloth bag that Mei-Ling caught without taking her eyes off the big cat. "It wasn't for me, anyway."

They stood there for a while, unsure of what to do. "Who...who are you?" Mei-Ling finally thought to ask. The leopard hesitated.

"They...they call me Hulong." He admitted, but his tone was unsure.

"Are you from around here? Do you train in some other Kung Fu school?"

Hulong grit his teeth. "I'd rather you not ask." He growled, but relented and answered anyway. "Look, I don't live around here, or anywhere. I...travel a lot. So, no, I don't go to any school."

"Well, you're a good fighter."

"I know."

"Who taught you?"

There was a long pause, and the leopard's dark eyebrow's furrowed. "I...don't know. At least, I don't think I know. I might. I'm..I'm not sure...look, I have to...have to go. Sorry for the misunderstanding."

Mei-Ling watched him walk away, the sack heavy in her paws. "Do you need it?" She asked uncertainly.

Hulong dipped his head, not turning. "Some other's do. They're counting on me to bring something back."

Mei-Ling raised an eyebrow, then walked up and put a reassuring paw on his shoulder. He flinched slightly from the touch, but looked down, which was a mistake.

The mountain cat's caring smile transformed into a snarl and she ripped the cloak of the leopard's shoulders, hood and all. "Tai Lung," she took a step closer to him and balled her hands into ready fists, fur bristling.

"That's what they used to call me," He didn't seem fazed by the intimidating glare and snarl he was recieving. "I don't know if that's who I am anymore."

Mei-Ling ignored the sincerity in his voice. "You're a criminal."

"Maybe I used to be." Tai Lung/Hulong's shoulders dropped nonchalantly. "I can't remember."

Growl ceasing to an abrupt, cut-off stop, Mei-Ling backed away. "I...I can't say I believe you. And I can't let you go free."

She locked her gaze on his authoritatively and demanded, "But you can show me these...other friends of yours."

"I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because they're at the Jade Palace."

* * *

><p>"I won't do it."<p>

"It's too dangerous, Po!"

"Tigress, don't let go! DON'T LET GO!"

"I'm not!"

"Why did I agree to this?"

"Asking myself the same thing, Viper."

"Guys! Don't chicken out on me!"

The Five and Po, dressed in winter clothing, were positioned on top of a huge, flat circle of brass, like a giant gong. And they were all arguing.

Below them, the hill sloped down almost dangerously. Rocks were strewn over the snowy expanse, waiting to overturn a sledfull of Kung Fu Masters. Up at the top of the hill, the only thing keeping them from riding down to certain doom was Tigress, who had a firm hold on a slim tree trunk.

"It'll be fun!" Po protested, repositioning his hat.

"You said that the last time we pranked Master Shifu!" Monkey spat. "Was it fun? NO!"

"Then you're just afraid?" Po countered smugly. "The bravest warriors in China scared of sledding down a hill?"

"No, Po." Tigress growled, clearly straining to hold the other's weight along with her's and the gong's from sliding down. "We're cautious."

"Same thing. You're all too scared!"

The Five shared a meaningful look. Tigress rolled her eyes, sighed, and let go of the tree trunk.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then gravity reached out and tipped the makeshift sled over the crest of the hill, and down they went.

Wind ripped past their faces, snow stung their eyes, and they slid down faster and faster, Po whooping loudly, Mantis screaming, Viper huddled in a corner, Crane yelling 'Tell me when it's over', Monkey waving his hands in the air and grinning like a madman, and Tigress crossing her arms and squinting against the wind.

They inched to a sluggish halt...but right over a cliff edge. There the six tilted precariously, trying not to get dizzy as the sheer drop below swam in their vision.

"Are we supposed to stop?" Mantis asked.

"No. Panic!" Po screeched, just as the sled plummeted down. Everything was a blur as they rocketed southwards, bounced onto the snowy ground and bolted down the steep hill faster than the speed of light. Now, everyone was screaming.

"HOW DO YOU STOP THIS THING?" Viper shrieked.

"YOU CAN'T!" Po shouted back.

"AHHHHH!" Everyone screamed in response.

Wide-eyed with terror, they swerved past trees and boulders, digging their claws/wings/pincers/tails on the edge of the gong to keep a hold. Out of fear, Po hugged Tigress close to him, and she pushed him away, only to widen her eyes as the lake zoomed into view and this time they both held onto each other in terror. No one else noticed; they were too busy screaming.

"I'm too young to die!" Mantis wailed.

"I know! Shut up!" Crane moaned.

They sailed over a snow bank jutting out of the ground and it worked as a ramp, sending the gong flying in the air along with it's passengers, who, from the momentum, were all sent flailing in different directions.

Crane did an awkward somersault in the air and landed with his beak lodged in snow, Viper coiled herself around a tree by accident. Mantis faceplanted a boulder. Monkey landed with just his tail poking out of the deep snowdrift. Tigress and Po flew through the air, still yelling and unconsciously clinging to the other, dropped diagonally to the ground, and slid unceremoniously to a stop an inch in front of the lake, which, though not frozen over, was still cold enough to make them into warrior-sicles. The sled wedged itself into a tree trunk.

The Masters panted and heaved, shaking their heads and popping out of the snow. Their eyes shone with terror and excitement.

Mantis peeled himself off the face of the stone. "That was-"

"AWESOME!" Po exclaimed through a mouthful of dirty snow. "Let's do it again!" He tried to get up, but he had sunk mid-belly into the ground. "Uh, little help?"

Tigress hoisted herself up and offered him a paw, which he took. With some pulling (and Monkey's help), she dragged the panda out. He shook the snow from his head, grabbed his threadbare scarf which had fallen to the ground, and wrapped it around his neck once more.

"Thanks," He said to Tigress, who nodded formerly. She rubbed her paws unconsciously, which still stung even though it had been nearly three month's since she'd received that cannon blast. Her fur still felt warm from the panicked-sled-hug, and she scowled in light irritation at herself. Po looked away sheepishly.

"Sorry...umm...instinct, uh, kicked in," he offered. Tigress opened her mouth to reply but instead changed it to a small half-hearted smile.

"Don't fret about it," She shrugged, turning to leave.

Suddenly, the smaller gong (not the one that Po had borrowed), sounded loudly in the clearing twice.

"Lunch!" Po grinned excitedly.

GONG!

"Not lunch," Po moaned, then brightened. "Three times means...there's a visitor. Ooh, maybe another lost noodle delivery guy!"

"Oh, come ON," Viper giggled as the panda hurried up the slope; or at least he tried to.

The others watched in amusement as he pawed at the vertical cliff, grunting and muttering, pebbles scattering when he hoisted one leg up.

"I don't know if who else wants to climb cliffs, but I'm taking the stairs if anyone's wondering," Crane said.

"Oh, stairs...uh..." Po looked down from his awkward position at the steps, then at the intimidating rock wall. "Stairs are sounding pretty good, yeah, those might...might work, actually."

Tigress rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Or maybe-this?!"

At the last word she shot out and kicked the cliff with such force it shook. Po gasped and let go of the the vibrating stone, falling to the ground. Well, at least, he was falling until Tigress spin-kicked him up so high he was sent flying over the cliff and rocketing in a fortunately soft pillow of snow up on the ledge.

The feline below raised her eyebrows in satisfaction before pouncing skywards to join him, levitating herself off a foothold and spiraling to the top. She landed nimbly on one foot with much more grace than Po had, needless to say.

"Oh yeah, you get to jump all the way to the palace," Mantis grumbled below, barely visible except as a green dot. The little ants beside him (meaning the other three) sighed and stalked, slithered and knuckle-walked to the stairs.

Po looked up to find Tigress already on all fours and loping away. He shook his head, dusted the snow off his ears and reluctantly broke into a sprint to catch up with her.

"Aren't you in a hurry," He smirked, pumping hard at the frosted ground.

She somersaulted to two feet and kept running, but backwards then stared at him, mouth twitching into an undecided curve that was either a frown or grin. "Is that a challenge?"

"Uh-no?"

"Too bad,"

* * *

><p>"I...<em>haah...<em>hate...races..._haah_!" Po gasped out every word as he dragged himself to a halt, groping at the floor. Tigress stood with an unreadible expression in front of him, arms crossed in a tell-tale sign of smugness.

"You may have mastered inner peace, Dragon Warrior, but stamina seems to lay on a whole different level for you," She joked in a stern voice, helping him upright just as the rest of the Five appeared on the crest of the mountain.

"Oh, look, he made it." Monkey grinned pointedly, holding out one open palm. Mantis glared at him and tossed two gold coins at him in silent, grudging understanding.

"Students,"

Everyone straightened and bowed on impulse out the sound of Master Shifu's gruff voice when he apparated ten feet in front of them seemingly out of nowhere.

_Geez, how does he do that?_Po thought in the corner of his mind as he and the others echoed a collective, "Master,"

The red panda dug the end of his staff into the snow absent-mindedly, ears flicking, robes and fur ruffled by the wind pricking around them, and his steely blue eyes fixed on the six in front of him. "You must of heard the gong; come inside. We have some very important...guests-that acquire of our attention."

He led his disciples into the simple kitchen and to the mystery that waited them there.


	2. Two

_Hey-yo, still alive. Sorry, I've been super busy lately...and, umm...sorry? So, next chapter. These are kinda short, but they're adapted to be kinda like the movies, as a reviewer pointed out. Which reminds me...thank you to all who reviewed! :D Make sure to keep doing so. Hope you guys like, and leave a comment, helpful, nice, or simple. Please?_

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><p><strong><span><em>Two<em>_: __Revelations_**

Grey or blue. Maybe silver.

Po couldn't tell if what color her eyes were, which was mainly what his first question was when he saw the person sitting in front of him.

"Po, this is Cunzai and Skylea." Shifu gestured to first the male black panther and then to the female panda.

Yes, you read that correctly, though Po couldn't believe he was seeing things right.

For a moment, everyone except Shifu froze and gawked. According to what Po had told them, he was the only surviving bear of his kind; so why was there another panda sitting there calmly and sipping tea like she could of been some kind of ordinary bunny or pig?

Ordinary definitely wasn't the right way to describe her. For one, she was, well, skinny, not as slim as Tigress but not round enough to be pudgy. A curly tuft of black fur covered her right eye, and small pair of silver hoop earrings adorned her ears, ears that were rounder and bigger than Po's. In fact, the only similarity between her and the Dragon Warrior was their fur color and pattern. Even her nose was more delicate.

Strapped to her back were two criss-crossing katanas, and her clothing consisted of a layered silver-and-blue patterned, loose-fitting kimono, and she also had on a pair of black pants on because of the weather. When she stood, she seemed taller than Po at first glance, but in reality she was around two inches shorter.

"Pleasure to meet you all," She said, bowing in due respect though her voice was authoritative and yet amiable. "As your Master has already announced, I am Skylea and this is Master Cunzai."

Tigress narrowed her eyes as Master Cunzai stood, then she blinked in surprise. He couldn't be a panther-he was an absolute giant of a big cat, a full head and shoulders taller than Po, with an intimidatingly fit build and strange tattoos on his uncovered arms and back; red fire-breathing dragons on both forearms and some kind of silver bird etched in flames from his shoulders to the middle of his spine. His eyes were a strange mix of apple-green and golden, a rim of brown around his pupils. The white pants and crimson sash he had on were wrinkled and torn and muddied, as if he'd been on a long journey, or maybe a recent fight, though none of the faint scars he had were new.

Tigress suddenly wondered why on earth she was able to notice those tiny kind of details, so instead she concentrated on keeping her expression stoic.

"It's an honor," He said softly, but his voice was strong and unreadable.

"No, he's not a panther, in case any of you judged beforehand, just some kind of freak tiger mutation," Skylea smirked jokingly. Strangely, Cunzai wasn't offended...maybe he was used to her teasing. All he did was exhale out of his nose in hidden frustration.

The South Chinese tigress snapped out of her musings and glanced at Po, who's mouth was in a straight line, green eyes about to pop out in shock.

"Oh-okay, umm," He began, closing his eyes slowly and wringing his paws. "Can...can I have an explanation, uh, please?"

Skylea and Cunzai both shared a sympathetic look. "Of course, though...you might want to sit down." said Cunzai. "It's a...long story."

* * *

><p>"You must be Po Ping, the Dragon Warrior," Skylea asked gently. Po shrugged.<p>

"Um, yeah, and as far as I know, err, knew, I was the only...only panda left." He tried to sound nonchalant, but the emotion behind his voice was easy to pick out. He swallowed and looked up from the floorboards. "H-how...?"

"Has the idea ever crossed your mind that maybe others had escaped Lord Shen as well, Master Po?" Skylea implored.

"Uh, well, I tried not to think about that," he answered faintly, "I didn't want to get my hopes up, you know?"

"I understand," she shook her head sadly and then pushed her bangs out of her face. "But you can hope now. A few of our species did survive...we fled to the barren northern part of China, close to Mongolia. Trust me, it was hard. A few friends, allies," at this she stole a glance at Cunzai, "helped us through the difficulties, and we've got a new home, a small little village, unknown and hidden in a paradise among the mountains."

The Dragon Warrior's eyes zoned out into a different world of imaginings, of dreams that he'd thought couldn't of been true.

"At least, it was a paradise," Skylea's mood turned dark, tone sour. "But the pandas are being persecuted again. Our town's leader had a vision recently...that our village would be destroyed once more, and that our only hope was a warrior of black and white...a lone survivor cut off from his people. And that this survivor, this warrior, was...was his son."

They watched Po's face go through a series of different moods until finally he could breathe again. "So...he..he sent you after me?"

"His best fighters," Cunzai affirmed. "The only two in the village who can fight, if you want the truth."

"Well, actually, he just sent me," Skylea butted in, "But Cunzai decided to offer his assistance, which meant I had to drag his sorry hide over half of China behind me. I mean, I can't believe he's even allowed to live in the town-"

Cunzai rolled his eyes, obviously having been through this argument before. "It took us quite a while. We didn't even know if Leader Ares's vision was true, or that Shen had been defeated-we only found that out after having gone through very dangerous, secretive routes to avoid him and then somehow we saw a poster announcing your victory over that evil peacock."

"Why now?" Po blurted out, "Why did my father send after me this late? Why not when I was still a cub?"

"Because he thought Shen had gotten to you first," Skylea grit her teeth in anger, but not towards the fellow panda. "He had no shred of proof that his son was alive, and now he does, and he needs you."

Silver-blue. Po decided that's what color they were. A perfect blend of both hues. Like ice over an azure lake.

Slowly he pulled himself out of her intense stare and looked at Master Shifu, who was speaking. "So, the pandas are in danger again?"

"Yes," informed Cunzai, "A weapon-master, a wolf by the name of Pard. We don't know if he wants to finish what Shen started, or exploit the land we have, but he is rising against us, and you, Dragon Warrior, are our only hope."

Po's mind had been made up after the first sentence Skylea had spoken. "I'll do it."

"_We'll_, do it." Tigress corrected, and the rest grinned and nodded in ready agreement.

Skylea tossed Master Tigress a furtive, criticizing glance, as if discerning any kind of ulterior motive for the feline to accompany them. "It is your Master's choice-"

"I'll stay and look after the valley," Shifu answered without missing a beat. "They will go, if you'll have them."

"We need all the help we can get." Cunzai murmured, but Skylea's attention still seemed uneasily fixated on Tigress.

"We move on tomorrow. I have a friend waiting for us with supplies a few miles from here." She scowled slightly, then bowed once more once they'd followed her out the door to the chilly winter afternoon. Her bitterness disappeared when she saw Po's anxious look, and she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Master Po. We'll get there sooner than you'd think."

"Thanks," He chuckled nervously as the two exited, Cunzai calling out behind his shoulder that they'd be resting in an inn down at the village before following her precariously down the icy steps until they became silhouettes on the glazing red-orange disk of a sun melting below the horizon.

"We better get ready," Viper said excitedly. "I can't wait until tomorrow!"

"Neither can I," Po muttered distantly, turning away from the sunset and to the Student Barracks, and then slowly some of his cheerfulness returned, face breaking out in a grin.

"This better be a short night."

* * *

><p>"Oh, wow. Nice house." Mei-Ling said in playful sarcasm, nudging at the side of the unsturdy, small ship with one foot. The boat swayed slightly in the lazy river, lilting to starboard, and one of the already rotting wooden spokes of the helm snapped in half and dove to the grimy deck.<p>

"Hey, this isn't mine," Hulong raised both his paws innocently. "It's my friends', so you can save the disgust for them later."

Mei-Ling giggled even though she didn't want too. "So, how long until they come back?"

"Oh, two days at the most," He grumbled, dumping the sack of food into the water craft beside a few weapons and a barrel of water. "I still don't get why you have to watch me-it's not like I'm going to attack any villages at random."

"Or is it?" Mei-Ling sighed, sitting next to the churning river and dipping one foot in the freezing, numbing liquid. She let the water bite, let her blood ice over and her nerves dull until she couldn't take the pain anymore and she drew her leg out, massaging her calf. "No one can trust you anymore, Spotty, so I'm going to have to babysit you, whether you like it or not."

"Spotty," Hulong mimicked, wrinkling his nose at the name. "Seriously?"

"Just get a fire going already." Mei-Ling sighed, kneading the feeling back into her foot and walking over to the sack of food. "I'll see what we can cook for dinner."

"Why do I have to start the fire?" The fellow cat complained, searching around for wood or scraps of timber.

"Would you rather try and make something good out of some bean paste and rice?"

Hulong found the rest of the firewood without protest.

* * *

><p><em>"You failed again,"<em>

_Failed..._

_Failed him..._

_"Did you honestly believe you'd prevail against me, kitty?"_

_She watched him walk around her, watched him circle her as he had three months ago on the wooden bridge, in this exact scene. She could see herself, curled in a defenseless position, arms around her bowed head. From far away, looking over the glow of the furnaces and the haze of the boiling metal, Tigress stared at herself in frozen silence._

_She didn't turn to see the gaping, torn hole in the wall across the room where Po had been blasted both three months ago and two minutes ago. All she did was watch as the rest of her friends were finally either knocked out or in a gorilla's grasp. Shen's taunting words reached her ears even though she was hovering too high for her to possibly hear every sneering word so perfectly._

_"I was expecting more of a challenge," He sighed at the tragedy. "But now, the greatest Masters in all of China have not been able to prevent the death of their precious panda warrior."_

_Tigress couldn't turn away when a gorilla marched up and grabbed her other self, the bold, hardcore warrioress crumbling to absolute numbness and not even giving a protestant growl when she was lifted and shackled and pushed once more to her knees in front of the peacock lord._

_"And they will not be able to stop the death of Kung Fu, either."_

He brought down the shaft of his lance and Tigress woke up panting in fear, skull ringing with a terrible headache.


	3. Three

_Here goes for the next chapter. I own nothing except what's mine! :)_

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Three: Surprises<strong>_

_"We better get ready," Viper said excitedly. "I can't wait until tomorrow!"_

_"Neither can I," Po muttered distantly, turning away from the sunset and to the Student Barracks, and then slowly some of his cheerfulness returned, face breaking out in a grin._

_"This better be a short night." _

* * *

><p>To everyone's amusement and surprise, Po had made an effort to wake up earlier than the others and had been waiting for them eagerly at the doors of the Tournament Arena.<p>

"Hurry!" He urged, fiddling with his backpack straps and balancing on the balls of his feet. "We're gotta go now!"

Viper yawned, "Mmm-hmm, Po, it's five forty-five,"

"Ah! I'm gonna be late!"

"Panda," Shifu stopped him from rushing out the doors by whirling his staff in front of him. "I know you are excited-"

"Understatement of the dynasty," Mantis whispered.

"But there's no need to hurry. You don't have to be there until seven."

"I was planning to take a snack stop-"

"Po," Shifu warned, and his serious tone made everyone raise their eyebrows and wait for his next words. "All of you...I must warn you that the path you are travelling by is very dangerous. And that if this villain is a weapon-master, he might of already adopted some of Lord Shen's ideas and models."

"Well, I'll just inner peace those cannonballs right back at him-"

"I sense something dark is happening," Shifu cut him off, "You will face something more powerful than you have ever battled before. I do not know what, but take my word for it...and be careful." His eyes flitted to Tigress for a moment before he turned to all of them. "You may leave."

They all bowed and began trekking down, but once again Shifu stopped Po, this time by twirling in front of him and standing on top of his staff; there was a strange look in his eyes that was so rarely there it was hard to catch at first. But finally, the Dragon warrior realized he was worried.

"Master-"

"Po," He growled, "I want you to look after her. After...Tigress." He looked away sharply, rubbing his hands. "If it wasn't for her training with the Ironwoods, she would have died sacrificing herself for you." He scowled at the surprised look he was receiving. "Just don't let anything like that happen again, if you can help it."

"All right, Master Shifu," He promised, then grinned geekily, both stoked at being assigned secretly as Tigress's bodyguard and smug at seeing Shifu show some sign of protective feeling towards his adopted daughter.

"Go on," The red panda sniffed loftily then turned to leave. Without looking back, he called, "The stairs are icy...try not to-"

"WOAAH!"

"..slip."

* * *

><p>"Ow! OOH! Eek! Haha-oow! Ack! Ow!"<p>

"Make way!" Monkey yelled, and everyone dove off in different directions as a ball of monochrome fur bowled past them and bounced into a snowdrift.

"Ahahahooow..." Po groaned, flopping over to his back. More white powder from an overhanging roof ledge in turn shook off from the tremor the bear had caused and dropped on top of him below. He relayed another groan and finally crept up clumsily to two feet.

"Right," he huffed, knocking snow out of his ears, "Who's up for breakfast at Mr. Ping's?"

Moments later, the band of warriors were the first customers of the day to eat at Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, and a slightly droopy-eyed yet enthusiastic goose was happy to serve them.

The Furious Five watched on outside, talking idly as Po and his adoptive father maneuvered expertly around the kitchen, chopping and dicing and scraping vegetables and spices into the bubbling pot huddled by the corner. Unbeknownst to the others, the two cooks were having a quiet conversation inside.

"So...another villain, huh?" Mr. Ping started as he sliced a carrot. "A villain that's attacking...the pandas."

"Uh-huh!" Po grinned, not noticing the avian's slightly disgruntled, rough tone.

"And you were called there by your biological father to help them because he had some vision about you." _ZING_. Off went a turnip's top.

"Yeah! Isn't it great! There are others-pass the soy sauce, please-others out there, just like me, and now...now I'm going to be the one to save them!" Po stared out at the wall, a dreamy look on his face. "I'll meet my father...and maybe I could convince some other pandas to come back to the valley with me! Ha, wouldn't everyone be so surprised! And then..." Sniff, cringe. "Is something burning?"

"Your apron." Mr. Ping grunted. Po hopped around in panic for a moment before finally dousing the flames with a pawful of snow.

The panda exhaled in relief, then looked down at the goose stirring the soup with a bit too much force in front of him. "Dad, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, perfect." The cook snapped huffily.

"What's wrong?"

After a moment of torturing silence, Mr. Ping sighed, "You won't forget me, right? I mean...you'll come back?"

Po suddenly understood what his dad was so worried about, and he laughed. "Of course I'll come back, Dad. Maybe you could meet my other father," He paused to think that over, then snorted, "Nah, you'll never get along. But hey, you're always going to be my dad, and I'll always be your son, okay?"

Mr. Ping turned to face him, beak open slightly in a smile. "Thank you, Po."

"No problem...soup's ready!"

"Good...oh, look who's here," Mr. Ping exclaimed, nearly dropping his spoon in surprise. "Beauty and the Giant, much?"

Cunzai flicked his ears as he entered, and Po hoped neither him nor Skylea had heard his adoptive father's comment. "Oh, hey, guys! Uh, just in time for breakfast!" The panda announced.

"Quite a looker, isn't she, Po?" Mr. Ping teased, glancing at Skylea as he and his son gathered the hot soup in bowls and served them out. Po blushed furiously.

"Dad!" He hissed. Monkey, Viper and Mantis all heard and giggled or smirked at him.

Skylea either ignored it or just hadn't listened in. "So, this is the famous Mr. Ping's, former home of the Dragon Warrior?" She queried, looking over at a display of brooms and mops. "Interesting artifacts."

"No touching!" Mr. Ping warned as he set down a bowl in front of Skylea. Cunzai drew back his paw sheepishly from the cleaning utilities. "You'll get the broom dirty now, too!" The goose scolded before waddling back to the kitchen.

"Well, I guess that's sums up the introduction of my dad." Po shrugged, not exactly embarrassed though he was still blushing. "Eat up, I guess, or the soup will get cold."

The eight dug in without hesitation, and at the first bite both Skylea's and Cunzai's eyes widened to maximum. "This...this is amazing!" said Skylea in awe.

"Mmmm." Was all Cunzai said, not looking up from his bowl of noodles.

"You make these?" The she-panda asked Po, and he tried to slurp up his food faster.

"Uh, yeah! Well, my dad's the one who taught me everything, so the credit goes to him." He informed a bit bashfully.

"Well, good, because both Cunzai and I are terrible cooks, so you're going to come in handy for the journey home," she laughed softly.

"Handy...handy..uh, yeah, I'm super handy with food..." Po mumbled. Crane nudged the Dragon Warrior's plate closer.

"Uh, Po, you okay? 'Cause you've barely eaten anything."

Po snapped out of whatever reverie he'd been floating around in. "Huh? Oh, sorry, yeah, I'm hand-I mean hungry! Hungry, right..."

* * *

><p>"Hulong! Hey, Spots, wake up!"<p>

Hulang's yellow eyes snapped open and he sat up at the sound of Mei-Ling's voice. "What is it?" He murmured, drowsily rubbing the side of his face. It was a couple hours past midnight, and the sky was a glittering navy canvas of diamonds, with the full moon waning overhead. Beneath, the river reflected the stars in shimmering splashes of white on its rippling surface.

"Someone's coming...not someone, actually, a lot of...ones! Are they your friends?" The mountain cat's eyes were the only thing visible until Hulong got accustomed to the darkness and he could dimly make out her lithe shape in the blue night's light. He turned and squinted at a cluster of moving shadows getting closer, a lantern glowing in the hands of one of the travellers.

"Just wait until they give the signal," Hulong shrugged, hoping he was unnoticeable in the dinghy's stretched shadow.

A low, four-note whistle sounded softly from where the others were coming from, and the person carrying the lantern swung it close to her face.

"Skylea," Hulong affirmed, counting the other giant big cat standing behind her. "And Cunzai...but who are the others?" Two, three...five of them. No, wait, there was some kind of tiny cricket too. Six. "We're gonna need more food." The leopard reasoned glumly.

He and Mei-Ling stood and walked over cautiously. "So, you made it back."

"Who's this?" Skylea muttered, shoving the lantern farther out so she could see Mei-Ling better. "Your bodyguard?"

"His babysitter." Mei-Ling corrected, and Hulong rolled his eyes. Suddenly, someone from the group gasped.

"Mei...Mei-Ling?"

"Crane?"

"What?" The others stepped out and gave a collective gasp.

"Tai Lung!" Tigress growled.

"Hulong, actually."

"Mei-Ling, is that really you?"

"Yes, Viper."

"What are you doing with Tai Lung?"

"Good question."

"Skylea, is this your little supply-giver?"

"Surprise."

"Woah, woah, woah, hold it here!" Po waved his hands. "Tai Lung is the person who gets you supplies, and he's being watched by Mei-Ling?"

"Actually, we have no idea who the mountain cat is." Cunzai grunted.

"He broke into the Academy and tried to steal food!" Mei Ling protested. "The Master told me I had to watch him until his friends came back...I suppose he meant you?"

"Yes."

"Okay then," The feline sighed. "So he wasn't lying."

"But how's he even alive?" Monkey stammered.

"Do I know any of you six others?" Hulong broke in. "Because I'm really confused right now."

"Tai Lung, what happened?" Tigress demanded aggressively, clenching her fists and leaning forwards. "How are you alive?"

"I don't know! I woke up and these two had found me-"

"Hey," Mei-Ling pushed the tiger and leopard away from each other. "He's not Tai Lung anymore, okay? He's Hulong, and he doesn't remember anything. The least you can do is play along." She whispered out the last sentence.

Tigress blinked at the strange tone Mei-Ling was using, but she kept a tight frown on her face. "Fine, Hulong," she growled. "You'll have to explain everything later."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be the one explaining," Skylea walked past everyone and towards the boat. "It's been a long journey. Why don't we have dinner first?"

"Good idea!" Po agreed.

"Double panda trouble," Mantis snickered.

Tigress stood and watched them file in, still unmoving on the trail.

"You okay?"

She almost jumped at Po's voice. "Fine," she lied, looking away. "Don't worry about me."

The panda opened his mouth to say something, shrugged and offered a crooked smile. "All right."

He left, and Tigress watched him go, not turning when Cunzai muttered, "Master Tigress, Tai Lung doesn't exist in that leopard anymore. He's a thing of the past."

"What would you know about it?" Tigress snapped. "I can't trust him."

"Why don't you give him a chance, and let him start over? He's Hulong, not Tai Lung."

Tigress glared at the rocky, uneven ground, hearing Cunzai leave, then finally followed everyone to the dinghy.

Inside the forecastle, where the boat had just enough room to house the ten of them and their mats, sat the warriors as they listened to Skylea sharpen the edge of her sword on a rock and recall the event that had only occurred around a week ago.

"We were on the last quarter of our trip, and Cunzai and I were hungry and exhausted. Our supplies had been all nearly demolished and we had even less money, because in our village, we don't often use currency. We'd lost our map, and we weren't sure if we were heading in the right direction. Anyway, we'd just gone round a quite dangerous mountain when we started hearing this strange noise..."

* * *

><p><em>"Hi-ya!"<em>

**_BOOM_**

_"C'mon, get it right! Rah!"_

**_BOOM_**

_"What is that?" Skylea questioned, drawing out one sword. Cunzai craned his head up to where the sound was coming from, and a shower of dust and pebbles sprinkled down from a ledge and into his nose._

_"Someone's up there," He guessed, coughing. "We better leave him or her alone-Skylea?"_

_He swiveled around in surprise; the panda had vanished._

_"Up here!"_

_Once again Cunzai looked up just in time for a rock to smack him on the nose. "Ow!" He winced, clutching his snout and glaring at the she-bear as she clambered up the jagged mountain's side, using her katanas to drive herself forwards. She dug one blade into a niche and pulled herself up higher, calling, "C'mon!"_

_Grumbling, Cunzai grasped around at the stone and used his claws to get a firm hold, slowly but surely making progress. Skylea flipped over the ledge just as he grabbed the rocky outcrop and dragged himself over on to his belly, panting. "You're an idiot," he mumbled._

_"Shh!" Skylea pulled him over behind a tree, succeeding in him getting whacked in the head with a flexible branch because he didn't duck in time. As Cunzai bit back a yelp and massaged his smarting scalp, Skylea peered out behind the thickly frosted foilage to the shape moving around in the clearing._

_"Just fall down already!" The silver-and-black leopard was snarling in almost childish frustration. He drew back his fist and sent a blow to a tree that would of sent an elephant flying into next week with another great BOOM and looked up hopefully. All he got was a face-full of snow._

_"I feel for you, man," Cunzai mumbled as the snow leopard spat out chunks of ice and white powder._

_"He looks hungry," Skylea observed, noting the way his ribs jutted put slightly, even though his fur was thick and his build sinewy and athletic. The black-and-white ursine stared up at the tree and her eyes widened in understanding. Gleaming there on the tallest branch rocked a gleaming, ripe red apple. But the trunk was massive, slick and iced over. Unless the apple dropped on its own, it would of stayed there uneaten forever._

_"Skylea, let's go. We can't waste anymore time...oh, great, where'd she go now?"_

_"Need help?"_

_The snow leopard whipped around in a ready stance and didn't relax when he saw the sword-wielding female panda step towards him. "Well, do you?"_

_"Who are you?"_

_"I have the same question, but I'm not asking. Now, do you want that apple or not?"_

_The big cat hesitated, chewing his bottom lip. "Well..."_

_"It's a deal, then. You help us get to the closest village, and I'll get you the apple."_

_"But...I-"_

_"Cunzai, come on out!" Skylea called, drawing out one katana. The huge black tiger sighed and walked out from behind the dark trees ringing the clearing, asking dolefully. "Let me guess, you have another brilliant plan?" The snow leopard did a double-take at the other feline's size but stayed mute._

_Skylea sniffed from the cold as she adressed Cunzai. "Okay, could you just...stand over there, a few feet in front of the tree? Right, and you, uh-"_

_"Hulong."_

_"Hulong, good. You could just crouch down one or two yards behind him...exactly. Brilliant! Now, stay very still."_

_"I'm not liking this plan," Cunzai whimpered._

_Skylea backed up, brandishing her sword and eyeing the distance between her and the tree with her calculative, icy stare. Then without warning, she sprinted forwards, snow flurrying behind her._

_She jumped on to Hulong's uncovered back lightly, levitating off his shoulders with precise agility and sailing over to Cunzai, using him as the last stepping stone and spring-boarding up just high enough to slice the tip of her blade across the flimsy tree limb the apple hung from. It spun in the air for a few seconds before gravity pushed it down-square between Cunzai's eyes, then down into a snowdrift._

_"Oooow-darnitall!" The black feline yowled. Skylea dropped down, ignored him and flipped the apple up with the edge of her katana. Hulong caught it in mid-air and stared at them in wonder._

_"Name's Skylea. Now, could you show us the nearest village, please?"_

_Hulong bit into the apple and chewed slowly. "No problem...where are you guys headed?"_

_"Valley of Peace," Skylea informed before Cunzai could stop her._

_Hulong blanched short and gulped down the chunk of apple he was munching forcefully._

_"Something wrong?" Skylea questioned, studying his dark gold eyes._

_His nose twitched. "Not really...I don't know. Something tells me I shouldn't head in that direction."_

_"Why?"_

_Cumzai tossed his partner a warning, glowering glance. "Skylea, enough."_

_Hulong didn't seem bothered. "I usually stick to the forests. People seemed scared of me whenever I go into town. I mean, it's not like I'm going to eat anyone," He gave a dry chuckle. "I really don't know what makes them so frightened."_

_"Were you, uh, a criminal, or something?" Skylea started to edge away._

_"Oh good grief," Cunzai nearly face-pawed at her lack of subtlety._

_"No...at least, I don't think so. I can't...remember. I don't know." Hulong winced, his claws puncturing the skin of the fruit he was squeezing in his paw. "Ever since I woke up in that river I can't seem to recall anything."_

_Skylea regarded him with a hint of pity. "You could come with us. There's this really wise master where we're going...maybe he can help you."_

_"Is food added in the deal?" Hulong asked without meaning to._

_"Sure, I think we can somehow scavange enough for three." Cunzai muttured wearily._

_"I'll do it. There's a village close around here...I know someone who'll lend us some supplies."_

_The snow leopard took a big bite of his apple and led the way down the mountain. _

* * *

><p>"So, there you have it. Hulong decided not to head to the Jade Palace with us, but to wait here. He said he'd rather not remember the past." Cunzai finished.<p>

Everyone was staring at Tai Lung/Hulong either expectantly, thoughtfully or suspiciously.

"And then he tried to rob the Li-Da Kung Fu Academy for food." Tigress harrumphed.

"We ran out of money...they had told me to get supplies. It was part of our deal." Hulong countered weakly. "In the end though, Mei-Ling gave it to me for free."

"You're welcome." The mountain cat smirked.

"Wait...I thought he'd already paid off his deal?" Po asked.

"That was for another deal," Hulong tried for an apologetic grin, "They agreed to let me come with you guys and fight to let me prove to you I've changed in return for help with the supplies, and-" he grit his teeth, "Clean-up duty."

Tigress blinked, then bared her teeth. "No. He can't come with us! He's a villain."

"Tigress," Po started, but the feline glared at him and he shut up.

"I won't trust him," she crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't care what he does to try and prove it." She expected some murmurs of agreement, but instead Skylea stood up and faced her.

"Who put you in charge?" She spat. "As far as I'm concerned, Master Po is the leader of your group, while I'm the one leading this mission. You're not the one who makes the rules."

Tigress's argument was cut off short as she realized with a sickening certainty that Skylea was right. Everyone, even Po, considered her the unsaid leader of them all, but if you went down to official facts, the Dragon Warrior held rule.

Then she'd leave. She'd abandon this quest and go back to the Palace. But then, she had a couple of factors to weigh.

One, Shifu. How would he deal with her giving up on a mission? Maybe he'd make an exception, judging the circumstances, but still...

Two, perhaps Tai Lung did deserve a second chance. During the five years she'd known him, (she'd been only seven and he was fifteen), they'd grown up together for a short moment in their lives, and if she tried hard enough, she could remember those times when Tai Lung hadn't been the power-hungry, greed-driven monster she'd come to hate and fear. Perhaps, 'Hulong' was that hidden bigger brother she used to know.

And three, Po. Though she hated to admit it, she couldn't leave him. Last time she'd left him somewhere he'd showed up during a battle and almost killed himself in the process. And no matter how much she tried to deny it, she was worried about him, worried enough for her to swallow some pride just to protect the dumb panda.

Tigress eyed the uncomfortable snow leopard and bit back an indignant hiss of disgust. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I trust him."

She sat in a corner and listened absently to the talk, trying to ignore the dirty look Mei-Ling was giving her.

"So, you woke up in a river, and you don't remember anything?" Po asked Hulong curiously, a bit nervous at the idea that he might suddenly recognize him. But instead, the feline sighed.

"I've been told about who I am...I've heard rumors. Tai Lung, the guy who destroyed a village for some scroll-" He cringed when Tigress emitted a sharp growl. "And the person whom the Dragon Warrior fought and defeated. I'm guessing you're the Dragon Warrior, and they're the Furious Five." Another growl.

Po inhaled uneasily, "Uh-hh, well..."

"I have nothing against you," Hulong interrupted quickly. "I promise. I want to thank you, because I'm someone different now, and I will prove it." He raised his eyebrows hopefully, and slowly Viper, then Po, then Crane and Monkey and Mantis nodded and gave small accepting smiles.

Mei-Ling looked at the round table in front of them questioningly, where dinner had been set and eaten. "Well, Spots, since you're on Cleaning Duty, looks like you have some work to do."

Crane stared at her in surprise. "I thought his name was Hulong?"

The mountain cat reddened almost unnoticeably. "It is. Since it looks like he's in good hands, umm, I'll just...leave, now. Do you guys need any more supplies, or anything, before you leave? Or are you all going to be fine with just that bag of food?"

Po jerked his head up from the cloth sack, crumbs bearding his snout. "Uh, that was for all of us?"


End file.
